Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
Multi-species Conserved Sequences02:51

Multi-species Conserved Sequences

Next-generation sequencing technologies have created large genomic databases of a variety of animals and plants. Ever since the human genome project was completed, scientists studied the genome of primates, mammals, and other phylogenetically distant living beings. Such large-scale  studies have provided new insights into the evolutionary relationship between organisms.
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved DNA...
Next-generation Sequencing03:00

Next-generation Sequencing

The first human genome sequencing project cost $2.7 billion and was declared complete in 2003, after 15 years of international cooperation and collaboration between several research teams and funding agencies. Today, with the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies, the cost and time of sequencing a human genome have dropped over 100 fold.
Next-Generation Sequencing Methods
Although all next-generation methods use different technologies, they all share a set of standard features.
Modern Molecular Taxonomy01:29

Modern Molecular Taxonomy

Advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized the identification and characterization of bacteria, with multiple methods leveraging DNA sequencing for enhanced precision. As sequencing technologies improve and costs decline, these approaches are increasingly used in clinical, environmental, and evolutionary studies.Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) examines several housekeeping genes, essential chromosomal genes encoding cellular functions, to distinguish strains. Approximately...
Microbial Phylogeny01:28

Microbial Phylogeny

Understanding the evolutionary relationships among microorganisms is fundamental to microbial ecology and taxonomy. Phylogenetic trees are essential tools for inferring these relationships, relying primarily on comparative analyses of molecular sequences such as DNA, RNA, or proteins. In microbial studies, these trees typically depict the evolutionary paths of diverse bacterial and archaeal species by mapping genetic differences accumulated over time.Phylogenetic trees are composed of tips,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Genetic services survey-experience of people with rare diseases and their families accessing genetic services in the Irish Republic.

Journal of community genetics·2023
Same author

Correction to 'Evidence for a giant parrot from the Early Miocene of New Zealand'.

Biology letters·2021
Same author

New Zealand's extinct giant raptor (<i>Hieraaetus moorei</i>) killed like an eagle, ate like a condor.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2021
Same author

Novel insights into early neuroanatomical evolution in penguins from the oldest described penguin brain endocast.

Journal of anatomy·2016
Same author

Bucking the trend: genetic analysis reveals high diversity, large population size and low differentiation in a deep ocean cetacean.

Heredity·2015
Same author

Ancient population genomics and the study of evolution.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2014

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

Primer Extension Capture: Targeted Sequence Retrieval from Heavily Degraded DNA Sources
15:28

Primer Extension Capture: Targeted Sequence Retrieval from Heavily Degraded DNA Sources

Published on: September 3, 2009

Nuclear DNA sequences detect species limits in ancient moa.

L Huynen1, C D Millar, R P Scofield

  • 1Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Molecular BioSciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, Auckland, New Zealand.

Nature
|September 12, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Ancient DNA analysis of extinct moa birds reveals extreme reverse sexual dimorphism, clarifying species numbers. This study demonstrates the successful recovery of single-locus nuclear DNA from ancient specimens.

More Related Videos

Development and Testing of Species-specific Quantitative PCR Assays for Environmental DNA Applications
08:54

Development and Testing of Species-specific Quantitative PCR Assays for Environmental DNA Applications

Published on: November 5, 2020

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
10:23

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

Published on: July 11, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 30, 2026

Primer Extension Capture: Targeted Sequence Retrieval from Heavily Degraded DNA Sources
15:28

Primer Extension Capture: Targeted Sequence Retrieval from Heavily Degraded DNA Sources

Published on: September 3, 2009

Development and Testing of Species-specific Quantitative PCR Assays for Environmental DNA Applications
08:54

Development and Testing of Species-specific Quantitative PCR Assays for Environmental DNA Applications

Published on: November 5, 2020

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
10:23

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles

Published on: July 11, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Paleogenomics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ornithology

Background:

  • Ancient DNA (aDNA) research traditionally relies on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) due to difficulties in recovering nuclear DNA from sub-fossil remains.
  • This limitation has restricted the scope of aDNA studies, particularly in resolving complex evolutionary questions.
  • Moa (extinct ratite birds) exhibit significant size variation, leading to debates about whether this reflects sexual dimorphism or distinct species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and apply single-locus nuclear DNA markers for sex assignment in extinct moa.
  • To integrate nuclear DNA data with mitochondrial DNA phylogenies to test hypotheses on moa species status.
  • To investigate the role of sexual dimorphism in moa size variation and species diversity.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and sequencing of single-locus nuclear DNA markers from 115 extinct moa specimens.
  • Phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial DNA sequences.
  • Comparative analysis of nuclear DNA-based sex assignment and morphological data (size variation).

Main Results:

  • Successfully recovered and utilized single-locus nuclear DNA sequences from ancient moa material.
  • Demonstrated extreme reverse sexual dimorphism in moa, where females were significantly larger than males.
  • Clarified the specific status of moa taxa, showing that three recognized 'species' of Dinornis actually comprised only two monophyletic groups, with some 'species' consisting of individuals of only one sex.

Conclusions:

  • Single-locus nuclear DNA markers are viable for ancient DNA studies, overcoming previous limitations.
  • Extreme reverse sexual dimorphism is a key characteristic of moa evolution.
  • This research refines our understanding of moa biodiversity and evolutionary history, resolving taxonomic ambiguities.